♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢

Meanwhile, on a distant planet—Earth—a blue truck loaded with boxes speeds down a quiet, empty road.
The weather is perfect. The sky is a rich shade of blue, and fluffy clouds drift peacefully overhead.
Inside the truck, bouncing along a road that looks long forgotten, sit a father and his young daughter. They’re in the middle of a move.
The girl’s face, reflected in the window, doesn’t look happy. She stares silently at the vast land and endless sky outside. Her expression is full of worry.
After a while, she stops looking out the window, turns to face forward, and bows her head. Her father watches her closely, noticing every little movement. After a moment of hesitation, he gently calls her name.

Dad: Rogi.
Rogi: ...Yeah?
Dad: I’m sorry. I made the decision to move without asking you. I can tell you’re upset just by looking at your face. I’m really sorry.
Rogi: Upset?
Dad: Huh?
Rogi: Dad, what does “upset” mean?

Rogi had just turned seven. She didn’t know what “upset” meant.
Her father explained it carefully.
After listening, Rogi quietly lowered her head even more. Then suddenly, she remembered the promise she made with her mom. She lifted her head and spoke with a burst of energy.

Rogi: No, Dad! We promised Mom we’d be strong! You, me, and Mom—we’re going to live together again, right? So we have to stay strong! We can’t just sit around worrying. Remember? I promised Mom I’d help you! You remember that, don’t you?
Dad: I do, Rogi. I really need your help. My girl... hmm...

His voice trembled. He paused, overwhelmed by emotion.
Then, holding back tears, he spoke again.

Dad: I need your help more than anything.
Rogi: Don’t worry, Dad! I’ll help with everything! For Mom, for you!
Dad: Okay. I’ll stay strong too. You’re amazing, Rogi.
Rogi: Haha! Stay strong, Dad!
Dad: I will. Thank you, sweetheart...

He couldn’t hold back his emotions any longer.
He kept driving, quietly.

The blue truck, once just carrying boxes, now carried hope and love.

♦︎ ♦︎ ♦︎ ♦︎ ♦︎

The red chicken was still wandering through the vast ruins.
The only living things here were bugs.
He moved carefully, avoiding them as he headed toward his destination.
When he first came through this place, memories of its former glory were painful. But now, after so much time, his emotions had dried up.

“Where am I? Am I even going the right way?”
“Please... let me reach the Tarin Forest this time...”

He was constantly worried about the bugs.
He couldn’t light a fire in the dark—he was afraid they’d find him.
In this shattered land of broken buildings and roads, he used the debris as cover, sneaking through the shadows.
But he didn’t know: the bugs had already spotted him. They were following him silently, almost mockingly...

Crack!

A sudden noise startled him.
He screamed and ran.
[Eyes watching him flee in the darkness]
“Tch...”

As he ran, a small, rundown warehouse appeared in the distance.

“A house! It’s a house!”
“Thank goodness...”

Exhausted and starving, he rushed toward it.
He searched for an entrance and finally slipped inside.

“Hello...? Is anyone here?”

No answer. Of course not.
There were no people—only bugs.
He shut the door and sighed in relief.
Curled up in the dark, he whispered to himself:

“Ah... it was so cold. I’m starving...”

The warehouse was pitch black.
He stretched his hands forward, inching along carefully.
As time passed, shapes slowly began to emerge in the dim light.

“A lantern! Please, please...”

He spotted a bottle-shaped lantern on a table and prayed it had fuel.
He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up.

“Please... let there be fuel!”

He turned the knob gently.

Creak... click!

He was lucky. There was fuel. A small flame flickered to life.
The darkness faded.
He stared at the lantern, then turned to explore.

“Wow! Yes! Hooray!”

It was a food storage room.
Emergency rations were everywhere.
He tore through the supplies—dried food, honey, and more.
A smile spread across his face.

“Hehehe... I can’t believe this! What is all this?”
“Thank you! Haha!”

He gathered the food and checked each box.
Then, by chance, he found something special: a Strawberry Nose Ball—Ina’s favorite treat.

“Oh... this?”
“This rare snack... here?”
“Strawberry Nose Ball!”

He hugged it to his chest, thinking of Ina.

“Those beautiful memories with Nia...”
“She loved this so much...”

Coming home to her smile.
Her scent, her warmth... everything he missed. Nia.
[He called Ina “Nia” as a nickname.]

He opened the box to check the condition.

“Hmm... is it safe to eat? Should be okay...”
[The expiration date had long passed—it no longer mattered.]

The sweet scent filled the air.
He took a bite.

“Mmm... amazing! It’s fine! So good!”

He devoured the snack, then paused.
“This is too precious. I shouldn’t eat it all at once.”
He stopped and hugged the box, tears in his eyes.

“Save it... only one when I miss Nia too much. Just one. There’s not much left... sob...”

Then he heard it.
Rustling through the ventilation shaft.
Startled, he screamed and flung the snack into the air.
It rained down, landing in the dust.
Now it was dirty—no longer edible.

“I was trying to save it... What is this!!!”
[He trembled, staring at the fallen Strawberry Nose Balls.]

“Hmm... maybe I can still eat it...?”

He was lost in thought.
Only the snack mattered.
While distracted, a shadow crept through the moonlit crack in the door.
It was dangerous—but he didn’t notice.
Then he realized: the lantern’s light was revealing his location.

“The light! I have to turn it off!”

Just as he rushed toward the lantern, a knock echoed from the door.
Thump, thump
His breath caught in fear.

“It’s over... the bugs found me...”

Another knock.
Thump
He trembled.
The latch began to turn. The door creaked open.
He braced himself.

“If it’s come to this... I’ll face it head-on!”

Creeeak—
The door opened.
A giant bug stood there, blocking the entrance.
It muttered:

“Hmm... Found the red chicken.”
“And it smells... delicious.”